Making my mark on the web using valuable and unique content and by default, adding value to the web is critical to me, as an SEO'er and to my clients requiring a sustainable and true ROI. Making the web a better and more valuable place I totally agree with. But my profession is Search and Internet Marketing, and I love the diversity and the industrys nuances challenge me.

On the other hand S/ME's primary driver is to "push tin" or reduce costs. The more I "push" or the more I save, the more "value" I have gained from the Web .

If I am in #3 for an exact match .org, with robot article marketing on a feeder site that pushes 100 visits per week, and 6% convert, well given the expense and commitment I will live with that.

Its still cheaper than a local ad in XYZ newspaper/radio.

A lot of the SME's arent thinking sustainability, in fact given that lack or support by Chambers of Commerce or even Google (the 30 day'ers approach) they make really important decisions for commercial survival based upon their email spam. e newsletters, poor SEO's or the findings from a recent WebEx.

As SEO's we cannot knock this approach, our futures and financial commitments aren't invested in stock, rent and staff. This is especially magnified in retailers that have a real store/s where very few customers are turning up to their store, the second orderer no longer exists, their rent is due and they have time on their hands to surf the web and be "sold to".

Rand, you mentioned that rankings can improve (usually for 6/9 months in my experience) and for a vast amount of small retailers that do not have access to alternate knowledge but have time on their hands to search the web, a 6/9 month window of opportunity is all it takes to make that "risky" commitment.

I start to rank in Bing, see some results and all of a sudden that £300 investment in snake oil seems like a decent ROI!

For me, the real waste is the opportunity cost or the Return on Effort. If I had the time/opportunity to invest in the creation of a brand that could be fashioned into a unique and sustainable brand I would be all over it!!